Official Defends Tax Bills District Thinks $520,000 Owed

To do that, the district will have to find at least 2,000 residents who work but have not been paying the occupation tax, which is assessed on a taxpayer's job category. The average bill is $250.

The district budget anticipates a 74 percent increase in the amount raised.

Business Administrator John Marcinko said he feels confident the district will meet that goal.

"That's actually very conservative," he said. "We may find a lot more than that."

He apologized for bills sent to children, retired people, the unemployed and even the deceased. But he advised people to pay their bill or, if it's a mistake, call the district to straighten it out.

"Just bear with us, and we'll get it straightened out," he said. Even if a resident has already paid the tax, he shouldn't throw the bill away because he could end up on a delinquency list and prolong the problem.

The district sent out 2,000 bills this week and plans to send 4,000 more. Marcinko's wife, Maureen, is paid $1.50 for every bill she sends whether or not it generates more tax dollars. The board hired her to do the billing.

Despite her lack of financial incentive to weed out incorrect names before sending the bills, the business manager said they have done "everything possible" to reduce errors.

"Of the 2,000 we sent so far, at least 90 percent of them have not been returned or responded to as wrong," Marcinko said. "I'm not saying our lists are perfect, but this will make them perfect."

He said the district compiled its list using the 1990 Census and state and local tax lists. Some dead people may be billed, Marcinko said, because they died after the census. Children could be billed if they filed a state tax form because of a savings account.

Marcinko urged residents to help the district compile an accurate tax base. He said some bills are wrong because of the district's limited information when compiling the list.